


Kitten care

by FolkTeller



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Adoption, Animals, Anxiety, Cute, Fluff, Healing, No Romance, Protective Corpse Husband (Video Blogging RPF), Sickfic, Slice of Life, Social Anxiety, Soft Corpse Husband (Video Blogging RPF)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:47:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29638317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FolkTeller/pseuds/FolkTeller
Summary: Dr. Nelson turned towards them as Dr. Winters left the room. He corrected his glasses, his face giving both Rae and Corpse a short shiver: "I won't sugar coat it; The kitten is in horrible shape. It's severely undernourished and has a fever.""And…?" Rae leaned forward slightly."And," Dr. Nelson continued: "Given what I've seen in this job I wouldn't doubt it will survive, it will take time and care, however.""I can do that!" Corpse burst out, surprising even himself.- - - - - - -Corpse finds a kitten and takes care of it. That's it. That's the entire plot, ladies and gentlemen
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

Splish  
Splash  
Splish

With every step one took, water jumped up to their legs, causing the fabric to cling. Strings of rain pelleted down from the gloomy clouds that hung above even the highest buildings of the city. One could not avoid the rapidly growing puddles, not that the people tried. They were used to the rain, were used to clinging clothing, were used to the shivers the wind brought with it. Despite that air of familiarity, many people cursed under their breath about various things, not all directly linked to the weather.  
Canceled plans to meet up with friends, new clothes ruined, old clothing not holding up anymore.  
Some had brought an umbrella but even those struggled against the storm. As the wind picked up, the rain turned to a grey wall that whipped and lashed like waves.

The people that did get out of the rain or were at home, to begin with, enjoyed warm beverages, snuggled themselves deeper into a thick blanket while reading a book, or watching the latest episode of whatever crime show was on TV.  
Thunder rumbled outside their windows, closely followed by a bright light that illuminated the dark autumn night.

Corpse was not one of those people. Not because the sudden change in weather had taken him by surprise, no. Rather, he had taken the opportunity to get groceries since the supermarket was relatively empty now. He pulled his hood deeper into his face, not that it was much help. He was already dripping wet, thick water droplets falling from his hair into his eyes, making him blink.  
His hand grasped the plastic of the bags firmly despite said hand almost being frozen solid -or so it felt, at least. He liked storms. He positively loved the sound the rain made when hitting a surface such as a window or the cement of the road. He adored the powerful roars of thunder above him. But he could do without the cold temperatures though. Then again; What's better than a steaming hot shower after coming out of freezing rain?  
The thought made him walk even faster. Yes, a hot shower sounded heavenly right now. Maybe a cup of tea afterward. 

As he smiled at the idea, he passed a small corner shop from which the smell of coffee usually drew in a small but loyal crowd of customers. Corpse passed it whenever he would go grocery shopping though actually entering it was rare at best. Since even without the rain he would always go out during ungodly hours, the shop was mostly empty save for the somewhat elderly owner behind the counter who was currently sipping from a mug while reading a magazine. 

Corpse found himself contemplating to go inside the small shop if only to escape the cold for a few minutes. He put his free hand on the doorknob. It would only be for a few minutes, he told himself, I'll be gone as soon as the rain calms down. His heart began to beat faster and faster. The sound of blood roared in his ears, accompanying the drum in his chest. The owner would probably look at him. After all, there must be a reason why nobody else was in there, right? What if the owner shooed everyone out to have some alone-time? He would just be a bother, a nuisance.  
His throat clenched, making him gasp for breath.  
What if the store wasn't even open anymore? He would look like a complete idiot!  
He felt sick like he would throw up any second.  
What would the owner say? Hell, what would he *think*?  
Despite his knuckles turning white from the pressure of his grip, his hands shook. He didn't even feel the cold of the metal. The taste of blood touched his tongue as he chewed harder on his lip.  
His stomach twisted once again, this time strong enough to make him let go of the handle, and take a step back from the glass door. 

He picked up his bags which he must have let go at some point, and without looking back, hurried to his apartment. There he would be save. There he could breathe. There he should be.


	2. Chapter 2

Upon closing the door shut behind him, Corpse threw off his shoes and rid himself of his jacket. He shivered for it had not saved him as much as it should. A new coat might be in order… 

After turning up the heater in the living room, he put down his bags on the counter of his kitchenette. Just as he was reaching to grab a bottle of water, something small lunged out, jumped down the counter, and raced across the room, under the sofa. Corpse jumped back in surprise and blinked, the movement too quick for his mind to fully register at first. Rat, his mind told him. Or a mouse. Carefully he went over to the black couch, went down to his knees, and looked under it. A small shadow, fur fluffed up, eyes staring at him with fear, looked back. The light that came from the lamp of the room did not reach under the sofa but Corpse could still see the flashing of tiny teeth. "It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you." he cooed softly and was about to reach for the rat. He flinched back, however -almost hitting his head on the small table in the process- when the animal lashed out, giving a loud spitting sound. Corpse didn't bleed nor did the pain last longer than a few seconds but he did give a short: "Ow!". He looked back. The rat had pushed itself into the farthest corner, focusing on him like prey would a large predator. Slowly, as to not stress the poor creature more than he already had, Corpse got to his feet, brows furrowed. He didn't have much experience with animals. He loved them, sure, but he never actually cared for one. Especially one so terrified that it actively lashed out.   
Some food might be a place to start, he guessed. Then again, feeding a rat might not be the way to go. 

Taking out his phone and activating the flashlight on its lowerest brightness, he got down for the second time and shined under the sofa. The animal furiously hissing at him was not in fact a rat but instead a scrawny kitten, fur wet and dirty from the streets. While the frame of the furniture did limit it, the kitten had its back arched, tail standing straight up. Its ears, still lined with "kitten-fluff" were laid back flat against its head. 

"Shhh, it's okay. Everything's okay." Corpse cooed again but that only resulted in the kitten pushing itself back further only to be held back by the wooden frame. Tiny claws poked out, ready to strike.   
"You're a little fighter, aren't you?"   
He got up, turned off both his flashlight and phone, and looked outside. Another roar of thunder erupted from the clouds above. No wonder the poor thing was so terrified. But how and why had it gotten into his bag? Did it not have a mother or an owner? Maybe it ran away or got lost in the streets. It had probably looked for a place to stay dry or…, he turned to the bag. It had liked the smell of the salmon he got. Cats and fish did go hand in hand but wasn't it still a bit too young for solid food? 

As a test, Corpse got out a small plate -usually used for teacups-, put a piece of salmon on it, and place it in front of the sofa for the kitten to see.   
While he was putting away his groceries, he found himself looking over his shoulder every few seconds but the kitten didn't come forward, not that he blamed it. He'd probably act the same way.

For the rest of the night, he didn't bother the animal. If it wants to come out of hiding, it will. If not, then he shouldn't needlessly pressure. 

Poor thing.


	3. Chapter 3

Hours went by while Corpse was first recording and then cutting his newest video. He had almost forgotten about the kitten until Seán posted a picture of his cat, BB on Instagram. Should he ask for advice? Seán surely knew more about cats than he did. 

"Hey, Corpse." Seán greeted him, voice a bit tired sounding: "'Sup?"  
"Hey, Jack." Corpse grabbed the armrests of his chair. Jack was one of his closest friends. Why was he shaking? "Listen -uh- I-I need to ask you something."  
"Yeah? What is it?"  
"So," he cleared his throat: "I have a kitten under my sofa and it's pretty terrified. Like, I can't even touch it. Do you know how to calm it down?" Corpse asked. There was a short silence and he began to wonder if Jack had understood him. Or had he weirded him out in some way?   
Then the other said: "Do you have any idea how old it is?"  
"Uh, no? It's pretty small and still has that -uh- kitten fur around its ears, I think."  
Seán hummed.  
"I already tried to bait it with some salmon but I don't think it's working." Corpse hastily added.  
Seán hummed again: "I'm not an expert on cats, Corpse." he then stated matter of factly: "I think you should let it be for a while. How long has it been there?"  
Corpse looked at his computer. 4:30 AM. "About… 6 hours, I think."  
"Okay, then it might have already calmed down a little."  
"Should I give it some milk? You know, in case it doesn't like salmon."  
"Oh no no no," Seán quickly said, making Corpse's stomach clench from shame: "Cats are generally lactose intolerant so normal milk is a bad idea. The salmon should be fine."  
"O-okay."  
"So, how did the cat even get there?" Seán asked, his voice now a little more alive than before.  
"I'm not sure. It must have climbed into my bag while I wasn't looking." Corpse said: "After I put my bags down, it jumped out and hid under my sofa."  
"I thought you were allergic to cats." Seán remarked.  
"I'm allergic to *some* cats. I don't know why but with some cats I get a stuffed nose. But I didn't touch the kitten yet, so I can't tell."  
"Did you already think about what to do with it?"  
"Not really," Corpse said slowly: "I can't just put it back on the street and I don't know what to think of animal shelters."  
"Yeah, you do always hear how horrible they are. But I got BB from one and he's fine." Seán must have leaned back as Corpse heard the creaking of his chair: "You could visit one before bringing the kitten there if you're that anxious."

They continued talking, exchanging ideas of what's to come, coming up with strategies to calm the animal down, and even dropped some name ideas.   
"I should get to bed." Seán eventually said, words accompanied by a yawn.   
"Yeah, me too." Corpse agreed. Even his eyes began to close, limbs tingling from fatigue. He stretched his arms towards the ceiling of his recording room till he heard his joints pop.   
The two friends said their goodbyes and Corpse went to his bedroom but just as he removed his sweatpants, -now clothed in a shirt and boxers- he went to his living room one more time. Just to make sure the kitten was alright. Maybe he should put out a bowl of water in case it was thirsty. 

The kitten still hadn't touched the salmon. Corpse leaned down. It had curled itself together but as Corpse's knees hit the ground, it jolted up, fangs bared, eyes big and round. "You're doing okay, I see." Corpse murmured, a warm smile creeping onto his face. After putting a small bowl of water next to the salmon, he gave another yawn, turned off the lights, and laid down on his bed to snuggle into the warm blankets. As it pretty much all his life had been, it took him long to actually fall asleep but at around 9 AM he woke up again, which meant he must have slept at least 2 hours. Not bad when compared to his usual sleep schedule.


	4. Chapter 4

Corpse crawled out of his bed and slouched into the bathroom where he proceeded to take a short shower to wake himself up. He shivered from the icy water but it helped. Since the mirror was covered by a thick, black veil, he didn't bother much with his hair or his face. He just quickly ran his fingers through the black curls that were still dripping wet. Dressed in new clothes, he made his way to the kitchenette, and -by extension- the coffee machine. As the sounds of black liquid falling into a cup, accompanied by the thick smell of said liquid filled the apartment, Corpse leaned against the counter, hands placed beside him. 

The morning was still young, the sky only now starting to lighten, not that he could tell given the many, many buildings that made San Diego. Still, though, most windows were already filled with a glow, blinding the stars above their roofs. Workers were driving down the streets, hitting puddles yesterday's rain had left behind. Those who did not drove to their job by car walked with an umbrella in hand. The next rain might very well be near. 

The only good thing was the smell of rain, lingering in the cool air. Corpse would have opened a window just for that but that would also mean inviting in the sounds of cars. No, he could do without that. Especially in the morning.

In contrast to the world around him, the coffee was hot, even if it tasted a bit too strong. But the coffein was welcome. Anything to get rid of the heaviness of the body. From the window, his eyes went over to the black couch. When he finished his cup, he picked up the salmon and threw it into the trash. Still, not a single bite. Even the water looked untouched.

The kitten lay on its side, back facing Corpse who had to squint to see the raise of breathing. It wasn't… Dying, was it?   
He carefully grabbed the animal, it giving barely a sound of protest. The mud-covered fur was warm enough but beneath was barely more than skin and bones. The face, now under the light, was sunken in. Paws and tail lay still. Eyes cracked open, just enough to reveal weak green eyes.   
Corpse immediately got up, kitten held against his chest and quickly got into his shoes and raincoat. During the car ride, the kitten lay on the passenger seat, enveloped in a small towel to keep it warm. Luckily the next veterinarian was only half an hour from his apartment but time seemed slowed down to the point where the drive must have been twice as long. 

The clinic was rather small, located between multiple apartment buildings, making it look even smaller. Only the plate of glass with "Veterinary Clinic - Dr. Sophie Mitchell" indicated that it was a veterinary practice at all.

What would they think? A young man just barges into the clinic with a nearly dead kitten. What if the thought that it was his? That he was the reason it was like this? They'll think he's an animal abuser! A horrible, despicable, dirty animal abuser! But he didn't… He found the animal! He *tried* to help!   
Would they listen?   
No, they'll probably just throw him right out the door! 

He grasped the steering wheel, fingers trembling like aspen leaves. 

He should have done more! He should have… Grabbed the kitten and force-fed it, no matter the scratches he'd receive! Just *something*! It was the right thing to do! It was the thing anybody with a lick of sanity would have done! 

Blood roared in his ears.

With a shocked gasp, he turned to the window on the passenger's side upon a knock against it.   
"Rae?" he quickly opened the door, face etched with surprise.  
She smiled: "Morning, Corpse." her eyes fell on the creature beneath the towel.  
Corpse's shoulders tensed: "I-I didn't mean to! I mean, I found it! I tried to give it food but it didn't want to-"  
"You can explain later." she picked up the towel, making sure the kitten inside was safe.


	5. Chapter 5

Corpse blinked but climbed out of the car regardless, following his friend inside the clinic. The waiting area was filled with two rows of chairs, three on the left, three on the right. All of them empty which calmed Corpse a little. An assistant came into the room upon hearing the click as the door close behind the two. "Oh my-" she hurried over to them, looking over the kitten and then hurrying back through the door she had come from, moments ago. Rae looked over to his friend, giving a small smile: "Do you want me to tell them I found it?"  
The man nodded. The tremble that had started in his fingers had spread through his body. He bit his dry lip. 

The assistant came back and guided them to an observation room where a female doctor, with blonde hair held in a braid welcomed them. She introduced herself as Dr. Winters. Rae explained the situation, saying that she had found the kitten this morning. The veterinarian nodded, jotted down notes, and then put the stethoscope in her ears. As she examined the fragile creature, Corpse sat down on one of the chairs next to the door. Rae followed suit, giving him a shoulder bump as a form of encouragement. 

Dr. Winters' face turned to a deep frown as she removed the instrument from her ears: "Where did you found him?"  
"Behind a dumpster. Near the central station." Rae said.   
The veterinarian hummed and continued looking over the kitten. While doing so, she called for another doctor. This one male with gray hair. His name was Dr. Neslon, judging by the nameplate on his chest. Dr. Nelson looked over the kitten as well, standing between the Corpse and Rae, and the animal. Corpse strained his neck to see what the two were doing. They were murmuring to each other, too low to understand fully. 

Then, Dr. Nelson turned towards them as Dr. Winters left the room. He corrected his glasses, his face giving both Rae and Corpse a short shiver: "I won't sugar coat it; The kitten is in horrible shape. It's severely undernourished and has a fever."  
"And…?" Rae leaned forward slightly.  
"And," Dr.Nelson continued: "While I wouldn't doubt it will survive, it will take time and care."  
"I can do that!" Corpse burst out, surprising even himself: "What I m-mean is; I can take care of it. I work from home so I can have an eye on it." he got up if only to stop his leg from bouncing. The veterinarian looked at him: "Have you ever taken care of a sick animal?"  
"N-No but I really want to help." Corpse said. What was he thinking? He couldn't take care of the kitten! Hell, he could barely keep himself in shape!

The eyes that lay on him were heavier than the world. 

He had made a mistake. He should have just kept his dirty mouth shut!

"We will keep the little one here for the night." Dr. Nelson said after way too much silence, to Rae: "Would you mind giving us your phone number? Should he survive the night, we will contact you and decide what to do afterward."   
"Me?" She blinked.  
"You were the one who found him, correct?"  
"Oh, yeah. I was."

Dr. Winters came back into the room with a syringe filled with probable vitamins in liquid form. Corpse watched her as she injected it.   
He barely heard the conversation between Rae and Dr. Nelson as his rushing blood blocked his ears. He saw their mouths move, noticed the expressions change ever so slightly but the actual words were a mystery. 

*Why*? Why could he have just *not* piped up? He was the most unsuitable person to take care of anything! Including himself. But no, he just *had* to open his mouth!


End file.
